The café was small, tucked between two aging buildings near the station. Warm light spilled through the glass windows, a sharp contrast to the cold, gray streets outside. Suo Ran had come here to calm his nerves, to think, to breathe. He chose a corner table, ordered tea, and told himself to forget the station.He failed."You choose quiet places!" a familiar voice said.Suo Ran stiffened.
Cai Lang stood beside the table, coat still dark, presence still overwhelming. He looked completely out of place among the soft lights and gentle music and yet, somehow, he belonged."You're following me." Suo Ran said flatly.Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "If I were following you, I wouldn't announce myself."Suo Ran exhaled slowly. "Then why are you here?"
Cai Lang glanced around the café before pulling out the chair across from Suo Ran and sitting down without invitation."Because this is where you ran to." he said calmly.Suo Ran frowned,his fingers tightening around his cup. "That's not an answer." "It is." Cai Lang shrugged lightly and met his stare without hesitation. "Just not one you like."
Suo Ran let out a sharp breat and leaned back in his chair. "Why are you talking like we're close?" His brows drew together as he looked at him suspiciously. "We've met twice. Twice. Isn't it a little too friendly to talk like this?" A flicker of amusement appeared in Cai Lang's eyes. Instead of answering, he hooked one foot around the leg of his chair and dragged it closer. The scraping sound against the floor made Suo Ran blink. "What are you doing?"
Cai Lang rested an elbow on the table and propped his chin on his hand, the corner of his mouth lifting. "What do you think?" "I think you're moving too close." "Observant." The smirk that followed made Suo Ran want to throw something at him. "We're not close." "Not yet." Cai Lang's answer came so quickly that Suo Ran nearly choked on his drink. For several seconds he could only stare. Cai Lang stared right back, completely unbothered. "See? That's exactly what I mean."
Suo Ran pointed at him accusingly. "You keep saying things like that." "Like what?" "Like you're trying to sound mysterious." "I'm not trying." "That doesn't help." Cai lang laughed. Suo Ran clenched his jaw. "You shouldn't sit with me." he muttered, glancing around the café. "People might notice." Cai Lang followed his gaze briefly before looking back at him. "Let them."
Before he could respond, a server approached. Cai Lang ordered coffee without even glancing at the menu, then watched the server leave.Suo ran looked around and in low voice he said,"You said the scroll was important." Cai Lang's eyes returned to him. "I did." "Why?" For a moment, Cai Lang said nothing. He simply studied him, his gaze steady enough to make Suo Ran uncomfortable.The he answered. "Because it doesn't belong to someone like you." Suo Ran's grip tightened around his cup. "Then why am I still alive?"
Cai Lang's expression softened and he said,"Because you're not as simple as you pretend to be." Suo ran stared at him and ask what do you mean? He continued,"You talk like you know me." Cai lang answered."I know enough." "No, you don't." Cai Lang tilted his head slightly. "I know you observe before you act." Suo Ran looked away. "I know you don't panic easily." His fingers tightened. "And I know you trust your instincts even when they're telling you to be afraid."
Suo Ran's eyes snapped back to him. The amusement was gone now. Cai Lang looked completely serious. "You're wrong!" Suo Ran said eventually. Cai Lang leaned forward slightly. "Then why didn't you run?" Suo Ran opened his mouth, then closed it again. No answer came. Cai Lang noticed and he smiled."That's what I thought." "Stop acting like you've figured me out." "I haven't." "Then stop looking at me like that." "Like what?" Suo Ranregretted speaking. The amusement in Cai Lang's eyes deepened. "Like you're analyzing me." "I am analyzing you." "See? That's exactly what I mean."
The coffee arrived. Cai Lang thanked the server and stirred the drink slowly. The soft clink of the spoon echoed between them. "You're standing at the edge of something dangerous," he said quietly. "And whether you like it or not, others have noticed." Suo Ran's chest tightened. "Are you warning me..." He hesitated. "...or threatening me?" Cai Lang lifted his gaze from the coffee and met his eyes. "Does it matter?" Yes. It mattered far more than it should have. "You could turn me in." "I could." "You could take the scroll." "I could." "You could end this." Something darker flickered behind Cai Lang's eyes. "I could." Suo Ran held his stare. "But you won't."
Then Cai Lang smiled. "No." "Why?" Cai Lang looked away briefly, as if considering whether he should answer at all. When he looked back, his voice was quieter than before. "Because I want to see what you'll do next."
Outside, rain began tapping softly against the windows. "You enjoy this?!" he muttered. Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "Enjoy what?" "Watching me struggle." A slow smirk appeared. "I enjoy potential." Suo Ran groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. "That is such a ridiculous answer." "It's still true." "You sound like an old man pretending to be mysterious." Cai Lang laughed, and the sound was unexpectedly genuine. "And you sound disappointed." "I'm annoyed." "There's a difference?" "To normal people." "So not us?" Suo Ran stared at him. "There is no us." "Hm." "What does that mean?" "Nothing." "You're doing it again." "Doing what?" "Saying things that sound meaningful and refusing to explain them."
Cai Lang only smiled. Suo Ran looked away toward the rain-streaked window. Anything was better than looking directly at him. Unfortunately, the feeling of being watched remained. Slowly, he turned his head. Sure enough, Cai Lang was looking at him again. "You're staring." "Am I?" "Yes." "Interesting." "What's interesting?" The smile returned. "The fact that you've noticed every single time." Suo Ran regretted saying anything. The smug look on Cai Lang's face made it obvious he knew exactly what he was doing. "I'm leaving." He stood abruptly, grabbing his bag. Cai Lang didn't move. Didn't try to stop him. Instead, he calmly lifted his coffee cup and took a sip. "You'll see me again." Suo Ran hesitated. "I don't want to."
Cai Lang lowered the cup and looked up at him. His voice dropped slightly, low and certain. "You will." Without another word, Suo Ran turned and headed for the door. Rain drops in his face and that soaked into his jacket as he stepped outside. His heart was pounding. His thoughts were a mess. And despite every instinct telling him to stay away from Cai Lang, he couldn't stop replaying the conversation. Behind him, through the café window, Cai Lang watched him disappear into the rain, his expression unreadable, his eyes sharp.